22/04/2026
One of our most endangered shorebirds have been snatched from the jaws of extinction, thanks to a sophisticated aerial 1080 operation last winter 🥳💚
Last year only 105 pukunui, the southern dotterel, were known to exist from a bird that would have once been common throughout the South Island coastline.
Their last main breeding area is on the Tin Range on Rakiura Stewart Island, which gets blasted by Antarctic storms. But even here, pukunui, their chicks and eggs were being predated day and night by feral cats another other introduced predators.
Now the numbers are in! Following aerial 1080 pest control, their population has increased by 52% since last spring. Knocking down predators to near zero allowed these rare birds to turn up the heat in the chilly southern summer, lay eggs, and get a whole new generation of pukunui into the world.
That's an incredible start to really turning things around – but effort will need to be continued to keep these birds safe from introduced predators. For now, we’re celebrating a huge win for pukunui and the humans who made this happen. Congrats to all!
📸: Glenda Rees
